4 tips for moving to outdoor dining

Before students could start enjoying an outdoor buffet at Saint Leo University, some uninvited guests interrupted: a colony of ants scurrying up the table skirt.

“We had to rip off the skirt and pick up the entire table and move it to the sidewalk,” says Richard Vogel, director of dining services at the university’s central Florida campus.

Pests, pollen, weather, uneven ground and food safety risks are some of the issues that can make outdoor dining a challenge. However, operators say the obstacles are worth overcoming, as outdoor seating is widely considered an attractive amenity.

“The guests are going for that outdoor experience, and they want to enjoy it as much as they can,” says Sean Mangold, regional assistant manager for food and beverage at Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite, as well as Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks in Northern California. “Anywhere there is a desirable location—the beach, mountains, national parks—we don’t need to convince people to come. We just have to let them know what things are happening.” Tenaya’s outdoor offerings include a seasonal poolside bar and lounge, grab-and-go picnic lunches and a summertime “Old West” fireside barbecue, complete with s’mores and storytelling.

Foodservice directors offered the following tips to make outdoor dining and seating successful.

1. Practice makes perfect

One of the best ways to understand the customers’ experience is to experience it yourself, Mangold says. Plan a meal or event for employees, and incorporate their feedback before inviting customers outside.  “Set it up to understand the times and logistics,” he says. “Play with it a little. Watch the wind, the sun, the ground.”

2. Spray before you play

Since the ant incident, Saint Leo’s grounds crew sprays insecticide over the grassier areas a few days before an event, Vogel says.

Mangold advises hiring a pest control company to perform any necessary abatement before the start of outdoor-dining season. Throughout the season, properly dispose of trash to avoid attracting pests.

Though Tenaya Lodge’s wilderness-adjacent location could make it a prime target for a wide variety of critters, Mangold says most animals stay away while guests are dining outdoors. Its foodservice contractor, Delaware North, is careful to store food properly, and throw all outdoor trash in bear-proof containers to discourage foraging.

3. Hot food hot, cold food cold

For an outdoor pop-up dining event, count on regular catering supplies such as hot boxes and chafing dishes to keep foods at optimal temperatures. Cold foods should be brought out last and kept on ice trays, Vogel says. 

4. On an even keel

Make sure the dining area is on level ground to avoid tumbling tables—and guests, says Denise Steele, director of hospitality services at Altavita, a senior living community in Riverside, Calif. Smoking meats on the back patio of the main dining room lures guests, she says. “Residents love to be outside, and [outdoor seating] is one of their favorite things we do,” Steele says. Altavita’s landscape crew will fix uneven ground, particularly around shade trees.